The annual Four State Farm Show draws an average of 25,000 visitors each year to the 40-acre venue south of Pittsburg, Kan. Don Wilkinson/JBJ

Area CVBs promoting closer to home destination experiences

TRI-STATE REGION — Many sectors of the economy are taking a beating as the recession deepens, which has translated into fewer dollars in the family pocketbook. That means less for everything including the all-important family vacation.

Doom and gloom aside, inexpensive vacations are possible right in our own backyards thanks to the efforts of individuals and groups working in the convention and visitors arenas. Thanks to assistance from area Chambers of Commerce, government entities and private enterprise, these folks are out there promoting the recreational and entertainment opportunities in the region to address the growing trend of cheaper, closer to home experiences.

The Journal contacted several agencies in the region responsible for promoting tourism for their views on the prospects for 2009 and challenges they face.

While each director's approach varies from community to community, the goal remains constant: continue to advertise. Make effective use of dollars and strategic marketing of events and attractions to draw visitors into their communities and their recreational and entertainment venues.

Southeast Kansas

Jim Zaleski, director of tourism for Labette County

"Let's first look at a general forecast, which is really an extension of a trend that is already happening," Zaleski said. "Even prior to 9-11, that trend was leaning towards shorter, more often, closer to home vacations. 9-11 simply put an exclamation point on the end of that statement."

Zaleski said that the economic status of individual communities has underlined that (statement), and realistically, it has opened opportunities for increased tourism.

"What we really have the potential for is making rural destinations more desirable and hopefully we will be better positioned. Agritourism, yes, but more simplistically, camping. They will be an option over hotels just because of personal family finances." Zaleski said. "Most people living in a particular area don't know what they have in their own backyards."

Zaleski indicated that what he's done is reinforce that approach with his neighbors in Southeast Kansas.

"We've always positioned ourselves as an outdoor destination. We work very closely with all of the DMOs (destination management organizations) in Southeast Kansas. The outdoor experience – fishing, hiking, biking, camping, and the like – is going to be more appealing to the individual family finance plan than say that annual trip to Disney World."

Zaleski cited one example. "For the cost of a fishing license and an extra spoonbill permit, you can go down to Chetopa, camp and fish for three or four days, and experience something you probably wouldn't have experienced anywhere else!"

The annual Katy Days in Parsons celebrates the long and rich railroad history in Southeast Kansas. The event draws progressively larger crowds every year. File photo/JBJ

Zaleski pointed out how that cooperative effort worked while attending trade shows in Tulsa (Okla.), Topeka and Wichita recently. He said the typical belief among DMOs was that anything more than 50 miles away is of importance because it has the potential for an overnight guest, but they really saw an increased interest at the Topeka and Wichita shows to reach beyond those limits.

"I think what we are seeing is a rebirth of the 'being a tourist in your own home region," Zaleski said. "It could be that one night might be in a motel or RV park and the next out at a camping site. I really think that's what we are going to see more of. Just about everybody outside of your major urban areas in the Four States will capitalize on some of that."

Expecting to pull in his marketing borders slightly for 2009, Zaleski placed his best results in print media, specifically a direct mail campaign, and is exploring other print venues he had considered previously out of his market prevue. "You put the print out there to get the leads that get you the desired results."

Zaleski's forecast for 2009 was very optimistic. "Honestly from a tourism standpoint I think we will remain solid, which is good. If we can get within 10 percent above or below last years collections on hotel/motel taxes, I'll consider the year a huge success."
For more information about tourism opportunities in Parsons and Labette County, please visit www.parsonschamber.org.

Craig Hull, director, Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau

"This is trade show season. And what we are doing is hitting those entry way cities into Southeast Kansas (Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City, Tulsa) to promote what we have to offer," Hull said.

Having returned recently from a boating trade show in Wichita, Hull said that he had contact with well over 25,000 people during the four days of the show. Each of those contacts can turn into a potential visitor to Southeast Kansas events.

"While they may not be spending as much for theme parks or take in a major league baseball game, people are still looking to get out of town for something different to do, AND stay closer to home. But getting 100 people to come from that show to Southeast Kansas will pay for the show and the word of mouth about their vacation/travel experience will bring even more people to the area."

Hull said that his tourism target market for the area is a circle about two-hours driving time radius from Pittsburg/Crawford County, more commonly called the "one tank trip." Hull said that circle represents the leisure travel market, but the business market extends far beyond.

Little Balkans Day held annually during the Labor Day weekend in Pittsburg honors the European immigrants that came to Southeast Kansas to work in the lead and zinc mines. Dave Lindsey/JBJ

"It all depends on your destination market, who you're targeting, and how you are going after them. For instance, Joplin is a rubber tire market. Cassville and Labette County are outdoor recreation destinations. Pittsburg and Crawford County have become sports destinations."

One strategy developed by the 13 counties in Southeast Kansas was a 10,000-piece itinerary of day trips and weekend getaways. Hull found that booklet to be of great interest during the trade shows and a great way to promote short trips for those looking to get out of the metro areas for a day or weekend. "The nice thing in Southeast Kansas is that we are all working as a team to promote the greater good," Hull said.

Another marketing avenue comes in the form of the brand new, 50-page, full color, Crawford County Visitors and Tourism Guide and revamped Web site (www.visitcrawfordcounty.com) released in mid-February. Hull said that he avoids billboard advertising because there was no easy way to track the return.

"Print and Web has been primary. We haven't ventured much into television, yet. However, we are preparing an RFP (request for proposal) for TV and promotional video that will go out next month."

Hull said that the addition of new hotels in Pittsburg and Parsons has done much to improve their ability to draw tourists and business travelers to the region. "These are a different class of hotel we've not had, and so that lends itself to a different class of business traveler. That market audience is definitely a potential for more growth."

And while adaptations and event enhancements for 2009 will continue through the year, Hull said that he was looking at 2010, 2011, and 2012. "There is nothing more that I can do for 2009 – it is what it is. 2009 will be a 'grin and bear' it year, but it can be an OK year. We were one successful proposal away from being a decent year. It does, however, set the stage for next year, which has the potential to be huge."

Cynthia McFarlin, City of Fort Scott CVB, and Vicki Pritchett, president, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

"We are definitely not cutting back on advertising and we are expanding into some Web advertising," McFarlin said. "It's a little different and there is a learning curve, but we do have one site up and running (www.kansasbeautiful.com). "I am getting encouragement from our business community here to spend the money to do this."

Part of this process now includes a regular email dialogue with persons that have requested information about Fort Scott and the surrounding region using what McFarlin described as "eblasts."

McFarlin said that the visitor's center has expanded its hours as well to be more accommodating to guests. "We are trying to be there more than we have in the past. And we are expanding the retail opportunities in the center specifically to include items from our Historical Preservation Association. Having these items available not only demonstrates the depth of this community but makes people more curious about us."

The annual Good Ole Days in Fort Scott draws visitors from a wide area. The event brings arts, crafts and reenactments of frontier life from the 1850s to the streets of the city's historic district and the Old Fort. File photo/JBJ

Because of Fort Scott's location and its notoriety, McFarlin said that billboards along the highway have worked well to attract visitors to the community and the historical district. And the city has made a sizeable investment of more than $2 million into their StreetScape program, which McFarlin said has made a huge success.

McFarlin said that they do buy a limited amount of radio airtime from the local station, and it has been money well spent. "I don't know if I see television in the near term or not due to the cost.

This year could be challenging for tourism, but many DMOs are already looking to the next season.

"There are challenges in 2009, and being new to this industry I think that challenge is the right word here. We are already working on 2010. We are taking the 2008 quilting event from the fort and expanding it citywide to highlight quilting, not just as a way of communication, but adding contemporary quilting. I think we can expand it regionally to include speakers and displays."

McFarlin said that the collaboration was key to successful promotion of tourism. "Working hard together is really great, but when we're working hard and pulling together, that's even better. I think that folks in the big town envy us down here in the Heartland. When things get tough in the big city, you become nostalgic for the small town and its slower pace. We are in the place people want to be because we know each other so we take care of each other. We have noticed that people are shopping more locally and we are pulling together. So while things are uncertain there are some places that are better to be than others."

Vicki Pritchett, president of the Chamber of Commerce, indicated that the primary concern was for the businesses in the community, some of which were struggling, and that promoting tourism was certainly beneficial for them.

"We are at a really good opportunity point right now with U.S. 69 being completed this summer," Pritchett said. When the last few miles of roadway are opened, that creates a four-lane, interstate style corridor between Fort Scott and Kansas City.

"We will have an entirely new base of people coming to the community. We've had a tremendous response already from Johnson County in past events and we look forward to increasing that number, both for tourism type events and our businesses, and to expand on that opportunity during the next few years."

For more information about Fort Scott and its tourism opportunities, please visit www.fortscott.com.

Southwest Missouri

Vince Lindstrom – director, Convention and Visitors Bureau of Joplin

"People for the most part will be driving to Joplin, not flying. That means how far can you go on a tank of gas, and that averages about a 300-mile radius," Lindstrom said. "That puts us in the bull's-eye of the four state region that has about 15 million people, which puts us at an advantage."

Lindstrom agreed that the contracting economy was a factor for 2009 and that the promotion of Joplin would focus on creating new events or enhancing existing ones to draw from that 300-mile range.

"But we don't have one major attraction to draw people, like Six Flags or the Branson strip; we have a lot of community attractions. But the key seems to be to have events."

Lindstrom said that one of the major regional events created for 2009 is the Route 66 Mother Road Marathon slated for October. Showcasing the world famous Route 66, the 26.2 mile marathon begins in Miami, Okla., following Route 66 through Kansas on into Missouri, ending at Joplin Memorial Hall on Seventh Street in downtown Joplin.

The marathon movement is one of the fastest growing events in the country, and for many cities, an annual marathon is the largest tourism event on the calendar. Lindstrom said the three-state nature of the event could attract 1,000 participants for this first time event including international runners.

Preparation for that marathon includes the addition of a half-marathon to the annual Boomtown Days event in June.

(Editor's Note: The following information was received after the interview with Lindstrom.

The Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Mother Road Marathon planning committee announced the postponement of the upcoming Tri-State Route 66 Mother Road Marathon which was scheduled to take place Oct. 3, 2009.

Taking into consideration the current economic climate and how it might affect the generating of sponsorship support as well as factoring in some logistical difficulties, the Marathon planning committee decided that postponing the run until October 2010 would be a benefit to the event.

"We want to offer our participants and our potential sponsors the best quality event that we can provide. I think pushing the date back will not only allow us a greater opportunity to produce an event that is well organized and executed but allow us the time to seek out sponsors that will assist in funding such a tremendous event," said Martha Getz of the Joplin CVB.

Lindstrom said another new event on the slate for 2009 is "Kites Over Route 66 – Come Fly With Us" with the new sports complex as the venue, and including corporate components from Beechcraft, Boeing, Cessna, and Sikorsky to enhance the annual Air Fest and Fly in at Joplin Regional Airport.

"That has been our market focus, to build more first time events and add more to those we have to make Joplin a destination experience," Lindstrom said, "And stretch those weekend events just a bit further."

Turning to the convention side, Lindstrom said, "I think 2009 is going to be a tough year because business travel is off. A lot of company's have put a freeze on it. We get our share of it because of our ideal location, but we are starting to see a real hit in that area."

Lindstrom said that the most potent tool for marketing has been their Web sites (www.visitjoplinmo.com and www.joplincvb.com). "We are doing more towards Web-based marketing and revamping the site to make it more attractive and user-friendly, and it gives people all kinds of information they need with links to lodging, attractions, you name it.

"Billboards are OK, but the net seems to be where people are at," Lindstrom continued, "And we are in the process of putting a new guide out that's focused on three areas of interest: Route 66, mining history, and the Civil War with the hopes of developing driving tours that will get people interested in the rich history of the region."

Amy White, executive director, Cassville Chamber of Commerce

"We cater to families here – it is a family atmosphere. We have camping, RV parks, lodging and what is nice for visitors is that these places have not raised their prices. Many of the lodges have been in the process of cleaning up and remodeling.

"We feel here in Cassville, with the economy the way it is, that we will attract more people because it will be a cheaper, but still a fun vacation for the entire family."

White agreed with the developing trend that people would look towards the shorter, closer to home trip versus travel to a larger venue that is well beyond a day's drive. However, she added that there was a larger concern that could impact tourism for 2009.

"I do worry about our small businesses. We've experienced layoffs from some of our larger manufacturers – Justin Boot, FASCO. I am worried about those laid-off people moving away," White said. "But this is a well-established community and very self-supporting community and people tend to stay here for the majority of their shopping."

White hoped that the recession would be short-lived and believed that if tourism stays close to home that it would benefit local businesses. She would know more on that after opening weekend (March 6) of the tourist season. "I think we might see a turnaround by the end of the season," she said.

Roaring River State Park near Cassville, Mo. is a popular spot for anglers during the opening of the trout fishing season. Photo provided by the Cassville Chamber of Commerce

One thing that Cassville is doing to promote the area and draw visitors to the region has come from attending trade shows. "We went to a travel show recently in St. Louis – first time that we've ever done this – and we had excellent response. It developed some good leads for us that can benefit our area."

Because of the signal propagation issues with Joplin television stations, White did not expect to commit more to video and would continue with her direct mailing pieces. "I started doing more radio here in the past year and a half."

Although White said that their event strategy would remain constant, they would continue to add enhancements to make them more attractive to tourists. "We always try to add something special to each one of them each year."

One of those tests is a car show due in May that they are looking to re-work to draw in more people. "It's going to be at Roaring River State Park and we are packaging the show with camping and other outdoor activities in and around the park. So we are adjusting our promotion to make that happen."

The state is helping promote tourism to a small degree by building a new general store inside the park that would carry a few groceries, tackle, and camping items.

Overall, White was optimistic that tourism would fair well in the region for 2009. "Bring your hotdogs, marshmallows, and tents, and have a good time."

For more information about tourism opportunities in the Cassville area, please visit their Web site at: www.cassville.com or call the Chamber of Commerce at (417) 847-2814.

Northeast Oklahoma

Amanda Davis, program executive, Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau

Davis said that this time of the year, the Trade Show season, was very important for promoting the community and target region before the travel season starts.

"We are finding, and probably what you've already discovered, that people our there in the market are looking for things to do closer to home," Davis said.

"We went form 20,000 visitor guides to 65,000 adding in the certified folder display program that is within some of our target regions and to help us penetrate the Northwest Arkansas region a little bit stronger, while still retaining our Tulsa (Okla.) region because those people are going to look to do something closer to home."

"We have 15 attractions in the area, the state's largest municipal swimming pool, so we definitely have enough for somebody to come and make a couple of days out of it."

Davis indicated that print media does work for them, but that they were shopping for a new Web site design and exploring other options. "We are doing that as well as producing a marketing video this year."

The restored Coleman Theatre along historic Route 66 is enjoying a resurgance of activity thanks to the financial support of the community and grants. Don Wilkinson/JBJ

But Davis did believe that making wholesale content changes in events would be a viable choice for improving tourism. "They only event that we are a part of is the Eight-Man All Star game, we do coordinate that. We just work beside the organizations here in town to help them promote, market and advertise their events. It helps us to better use our time and avoid duplication of effort."

One of the things that is starting to pay off for Miami but has taken some time to develop was their joining the American Bus Association. "We've partnered with the state tourism department and other communities in Oklahoma to put together those Route 66 trips and weekends. We have been very aggressive this year in getting group travel into the region."

Davis said that they are creating package travel deals that entice people to visit the area by bus, stay overnight, and move on to the next city on the tour. Again, leaning towards the trend of developing experiences that cater to the shorter, close to home excursions vacation goers desire.

"What I've been finding on our information form is that people are marking the 'Yes' box requesting monthly updates on what is happening in our area. So I've started a distribution list and am making the best effort to get information out to them."

While 2009 could be rough, Davis said that by more effective pursuit of trade show leads, refining target market audiences, and building trip package incentives, this tourism year should be decent.

"We have over 500 motel rooms available and we are starting to get bookings for our spoonbill and bass anglers. December and January were up and down, and last year we had the ice storms, so it's hard to compare and contrast those numbers, but so far February is coming up. Our goal this year is a 6 percent increase over our final number last year, and I think it will be more than that."

For more information about travel and tourism opportunities in the Miami area, please visit www.miamiokchamber.com.

Art Box, Grand Lakes Association and chief executive officer, Pine Lodge Resort

"The Grand Lakes Association works in conjunction with the lake area chambers. We all started out very skeptical this year with the economy as it is, but to our amazement the response to tourism has been unbelievable," Box said referring to his recent visits to trade shows in Bentonville, Ark., Tulsa, Okla., and Wichita, Kan. "Those have produced the best results we have ever had in years."

Box mentioned one marine dealer that sold more than 50 boats during the Tulsa show. "The outlook this year is very promising. I think that we haven't felt the economic situation here like they have on the East and West Coast."

"We print 100,000 guides per year. Those go out to travel centers throughout the state and through the Fulfillment Program with the Oklahoma Department of Tourism. That reaches a tremendous number of people. When you get involved in this community you realize how well they work together and support each other."

The annual Grovefest is one of many attractions in the Grand Lake area that draw thousands of vistitors to the region each year. File photo/JBJ

Box indicated that the GLA has adapted to the changing travel trend by starting a new event in 2008 called the Grand Lake Rally. "It was really good, despite the bad weather, and this year we expect it to be enormous. The CMA (Christian Motorcyclists Association) is a big group in Wichita and they are coming this year. A lot of what we are doing is basically getting out and knocking on doors."

Another area that Box said the GLA was exploring was a program started by the Oklahoma Tourism Department called the Chit Trip. "It's designed for women so they can go to a retreat. So when we came back, we are starting to get that packaged together that we can offer the women when they come to our lodge."

Box believes that being innovative and creative with tourism in 2009 is very necessary. "We are taking every avenue that we can, and that's what we've done. I think that we are just much more aware this year than before. Everything that we've done so far is taking shape," Box said.

Looking ahead for the rest of 2009, Box was very optimistic.

"I think that it's going to be great. I spoke with a guy earlier that makes dock rollers who was at the Tulsa boat show. He thought it was going to be slow this year, but said he had the best year he'd seen in 22 years of attending. We thought it would be slow at Wichita, and they just hammered us.

"I think people are staying closer to the area. The one thing that we have going for us is that Grand Lake is private, not Corp (U.S. Army Corp of Engineers) and so when you have property on the lake you can get a view. Corp lakes you're lucky if you get a view. That's huge asset for us and there seems to be no boundaries for working together."

For more information about Grand Lakes Association with links to other Grand Lakes events, please visit www.grandlakefun.com.